My Babies (Paused)
by Bae4You
Summary: Levi is the father of 5 kids, Eld, Gunther, Oluo, Petra and Eren. At 27 years old, he manages to support himself as well as the children. But with parenthood comes responsibility and responsibility requires sacrifice. Struggling to balance his personal life, his family, and his job, will Levi cave or will he become stronger? Follow his family adventure.
1. Normal Breakfast

**Chapter 1 - Normal Breakfast**

The sun obnoxiously announced its presence as light shimmered through the curtains. It couldn't be six already, it just couldn't be.

I snuck a glance at the clock and, it did in-fact, read six o'clock on the dot.

Sighing, I rolled over, my back facing the window. I had barely gotten five hours of sleep, an extra thirty minutes wouldn't hurt.

It was a soft giggle that forced me to assume responsibility for my five children. As much as the thought of sleeping in pleased me, I didn't have the luxury to do so.

People have work, children get hungry, food must be made, a hungry child equals a crying child and one crying child will soon lead to two equally-loud crying children. I was wide awake now.

I sat up in bed, wincing at the shuffling noise of the bed sheets. Now I was faced with a silent dilemma. How would I get up and exit the room without waking them?

If the floors could've spoken, they would've said, "We're going to creak Levi!"

Another light giggle turned my attention to the three cribs parallel to my dresser. The light shining on them illuminated them like a holy object. All I needed was some heavenly music and the scene would've been complete.

From my angle, Eren seemed to be the one having the dream of a lifetime, as his left arm was curled up towards his face.

 _ _T__ _ _here's no__ _ _time to dilly dally__ , I reminded myself. If the floors creaked, it was just a course of life. But if they didn't, it was a plus for me. I slid off my bed and lowered my foot onto floor

As I had predicted, the floorboards creaked and in response, I received three light coos from my infants. But I had to get through it if I wanted to get downstairs.

I sprinted across the room as quietly as I could and jumped out into the hallway, shutting the door silently.

I wiped my brow, "Levi, you quick son of a gun, you sir, have managed to pull off the impossible. This calls for a drink once the kids get settled."

"Who are you talking to?"

I jumped at the sound of another voice. I would have shrieked as well, but with the thought of my sleeping kids in mind, I stifled the scream. Turning around, I almost shouted again in recognition of the voice's owner.

"Erwin!? How did you get inside my house!?"

"The front door was unlocked." Erwin replied, casually, tucking his hands in his pockets.

"Don't..." I hesitated, glancing at the bedroom door before continuing, "Don't bullshit me. There's no way I'd leave my front door unlocked for the criminals and kidnappers of the world to waltz in."

"Don't believe me?" Erwin put his hands up, "Go check. I only opened the door and closed it. Didn't do anything other than that. We can even call a forensics guy to check it out if we need to, you won't find any of my prints."

I tiptoed down the stairs and check the door. He was right. The lock didn't show any signs of forced entry.

I scratched my head in shock, "How could I forget to lock the door? That's a basic survival step in this house."

"Don't be too hard on yourself." Erwin handed me a cup of coffee as he steered me away from the door, "You've got five kids. Three of them are infants. With all the commotion, it's no wonder you'd forget to lock the door."

"That's the thing." I said to him, still not convinced that I had forgotten to ensure the safety of my home, "I have five kids, you said it yourself. Their safety is my priority so there's no way I'd just forget something as important as this. Even the thought of forgetting is so...so..."

"Appalling?" Another voice finished.

I looked around and my eyes landed on a wild mahogany mane on my sofa.

"Hanji!" I stomped my foot, "What are you doing here!?"

She put a finger to her lips, reaching for her glasses which rested on the coffee table, "Don't stomp now. The kids are sleeping."

"They're **my** kids!" Nevertheless, I complied. She was right. It would do no good to wake them up now. Especially when I had company. Still, that didn't mean she was going to get away with being in my house, "How the _hell_ did you get in my house?"

Hanji stretched her arms, patting down her clothes in a failed effort to smooth them, "I've been here since yesterday night. I don't think my means of entry would particularly please you so, I'll keep it to myself."

"AH HA!" I almost screamed, having an Oprah moment, "See Erwin?! I knew I didn't forget to lock the door! This nut job broke into my house!"

"But with good reason!" Hanji intervened, trying to justify her crime. I had half a mind to shoot her with my, but Erwin's presence made me mull the thought over.

I put my hands on my hips, "Oh really? Elaborate. What reason could possibly justify picking my house lock, endangering my life as well as my kids and then staying here over night?"

"I wanted to tell you that my work grant arrived and show you the check." Hanji pushed her glasses back up onto her nose, as they had slid off as she sat up on the sofa.

"Work grant?" Erwin asked, intrigued by the two words,"What do you need that for?"

I rubbed the bridge of my nose, shutting my eyes. "Wait, wait, wait. So you're telling me that you broke into my house, just to show me a check?"

"Oh hush Levi. If you saw the amount you would have broken into my house too." Hanji waved me off, turning to Erwin.

"No! I wouldn't have!" I argued, "I might have called you in the middle of the night, but I wouldn't have BROKEN into your house!"

"I do this **one** time and you can't let it go." Hanji shook her head.

"No, I can not let it go! I could have died!" I hissed, "Also, this is not the first time you've broken into my living area. Remember college?"

"Oh yeah, your dorm room. Sorry about that." Hanji laughed, "How was I supposed to know you'd be-"

"Enough!" I put my hand up, not wanting her to say anymore, "Erwin, you're a police officer! You _hear_ her confessing to the crime. Slap some handcuffs on her wrists."

Hanji stuck out her lip like a little kid, "What? Arrest lil' ole me?"

Erwin sipped his coffee, "How much was the check?"

"Erwin?!"

"$50,000." Hanji smiled, her brown eyes shining as she revealed her amount.

"Holy-" Erwin almost spit out his coffee, "Hanji, what do you do again?"

"I work as a biochemist. That's fancy talk for medical guru." Noticing the confused looks on our faces, she dumbed it down even further, "Basically I sit in a lab, mix different elements together and hope to discover a cure for something."

"What the hell do you need almost 50K for then?" I crossed my arms, curious as to what she had to say.

"I'm not supposed to tell anyone this, so if word gets out, it wasn't me." Hanji winked, "But while testing cancer treatment substances on lab mice, I administered the wrong element during a test and when the mice took it, their cancer cells started dying."

"Hanji." Erwin stood up and you could see his brain going to work behind his calculating light blue eyes, "Are you telling me you've cured cancer?"

She put her hands up, "That's why I said I'm not supposed to tell anyone. Remember, these are just mice, they're not people. The lab wants to mass produce the combination, but I can't seem to get the right mix no matter what I try. So, they're telling me to get every element under the sun and reproduce the same effect at home."

"You're getting a private lab?!" I clapped my hands, impressed, "Wow. So not only will you get the Medal of Freedom, you'll also be remembered as the woman who single-handedly cured cancer. Damn, when did you get so smart?"

"I've always been smart." She flicked my forehead, "You've just never noticed."

"Do that again four eyes." I grabbed her right hand, "Watch what happens."

She flicked my forehead with her left hand and looked me in the eyes, "Whatcha gonna do, Ackerman?"

I stared back at her, trying to muster my most dangerous face. But it was all a bluff. As long as the kids were asleep, I couldn't murder her. It would wake them up.

I exhaled, "You're lucky the kids are fast asleep. Otherwise I would have cursed you out so loud, the whole world would be covering their ears in shock."

"I can only imagine the phrases you would come up with." Erwin stirred his coffee with right index finger, "But, seeing as how you hesitated to say bullshit a few minutes earlier, I can tell that these kids are really influencing you."

"He's had 'em for two years." Hanji chipped in, "I'd be surprised if he was still the same."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I questioned, a little offended.

"Well, some things are still the same." Erwin smirked, "He still gets upset over the littlest things."

"Ain't that the truth." Hanji nodded.

"I'm right here bastards." I muttered, shaking my head. Before they could continue teasing me, a door upstairs creaked open. I stood up and walked out of the living room to look at the landing. Standing there, a few inches short of the railing was my oldest son Eld.

"Daddy?" He rubbed his eyes, "Daddy where are you?"

"Right here son." I started up the stairs and when I reached the top, I scooped him into my arms, "What's wrong?"

"Daddy I'm hungry." Eld frowned, burying his face in my chest.

I couldn't believe I had forgotten. My conversation with Hanji and Erwin had led me to stray from my most important task: making breakfast for my kids.

I entered Gunther's room to find he was already awake, in the middle of getting out of bed. Holding him by the hand, I exited the room.

"Don't worry Eld, Gunther," I took them downstairs with me, "Daddy's gonna whip up something really tasty so you just wait here with Aunt Hanji and Uncle Erwin, alright?"

"Okay." They both nodded, climbing onto Erwin's lap, "Hi Uncle!"

"Hello there boys!" Erwin smiled down at him, "How was your sleep?"

I tuned out their conversation as I made my way to the kitchen. What could I make for them? Well, for my two boys.

Eld and Gunther were the only ones old enough to eat food on their own, the three babies would live off the bottle formula.

"It has to be something quick..." I muttered to myself, as I opened the fridge, scouring the different shelves for something to toss into a pan. "What cooks fast?"

"Egg? Pancake?" Hanji popped up above the fridge door, "You're making for me too, right?"

I clicked my tongue. "I don't have time for your antics Hanji. Tryna whip something up for my boys. I'd appreciate it if you restrained from distracting me."

"I won't distract you." Hanji lied to herself, "I can help! What do Eld and Gunther like to eat?"

"Anything _I_ give them, so your cooking won't be necessary." I shut the fridge and went into the pantry.

"Aw come on Levi." Hanji followed me into the food store, "I won't mess anything up, I swear. They're practically my kids too."

I gave her a look and she tilted her head, stuck out her lip and pouted like a begging dog. I had to give in. "Fine." I threw my hands in the air, "But if any of my boys start coughing, you're in for some deep crap Zoe."

"There you go with the censoring." She rolled her eyes, "They're not even within three feet of us. Curse a little. It's good for the soul."

"Good for whose soul? Yours or mine?" I scoffed, "Whatever, just hand me those three baby bottles in the fridge."

Hanji complied, handing them to me with care and I popped them into the microwave for a solid thirty seconds. By the time I took them out, Hanji already had a plate of scrambled eggs and was working on waffles.

"Whoa." I looked at her in awe, "How'd you do that so fast?"

"Turned the fire up as high as possible and flipped away." She smiled, "Who made all their own breakfasts in college anyway?"

"You did." I mumbled, "Can I trust you to bring out two appropriate plates and set the table?"

"Of course honey bunny." Hanji said in a cartoon-ish way, "Want me to mop the floor too?"

I shoved her lightly, "Get out of here." With the three baby bottles in hand, I quietly went up the stairs and into my room. The first to be fed was Oluo.

I gently woke him up and lifted him into my arms. He started to wail, which disturbed Petra and Eren, but as soon as I put the tip to his mouth, his cries ceased.

"There you go." I said to him, "Drink up." Once he had filled up to his heart's content, I wiped his mouth with a paper towel and set him back down in his crib. He was now up and active, smiling at me as he jammed his fingers in his mouth. Next was Petra.

Out of all my infants, when it came to feeding, I liked Petra the best. She didn't cry when she was woken up, she ate silently and she never gave me any trouble.

The downside was Petra could be starving and wouldn't complain. I had to set a timer to remind myself every six hours to give her something to eat.

She always had her eyes shut while drinking, which was a change, compared to my other kids. They always had their eyes wide open, as if looking at me would make their food taste any better. But Petra, she was calm and relaxed.

Feeding her took twenty to thirty minutes, while the others wolfed theirs down in ten.

As soon as she finished, I put her back in her crib and she went back to sleep.

Last, but not least, I picked up my youngest infant Eren. He was a rare one, that was for sure. A cross between the loud Oluo and the calm Petra, feeding him could be as easy as pie but also more difficult than solving a Rubik's Cube.

As I lifted him out of his crib and onto my lap, he cooed as he looked at me and I knew today would be one of those calm days.

To my surprise, he attempted to hold the bottle on his own, although his hands couldn't support the weight so I held it to his mouth. He finished quickly and burped, some of the milk dripping down his cheek.

"Come on Eren." I used my hand to wipe the drool, "Swallow."

He laughed at my apparent disgust at the stain and I sat him down in his own crib. His was right next to Oluo's, so the two communicated and interacted through the bars, speaking in whatever language babies spoke in.

I quickly ran to the bathroom and washed my hands furiously. You'd think that a germaphobe like me would be used dirt, what with the kids and all, but nope.

When I returned to the room, Oluo and Eren were engaged in a game I called, "Who Can Get Their Head Stuck The Farthest." Quickly, I removed Eren from between the crib bars and held him to my chest.

Lifting Oluo up, I set him down outside of his crib and he teetered back and forth before finally steadying. As he placed one foot in front of the other, he looked back at me to make sure I was watching.

I nodded, "Go ahead buddy." I lifted Petra from her crib and held her in my free arm as I addressed Oluo, "I'm watching you."

The three of us carefully made our way down the stairs, Oluo taking extra care to stay by the railing, just as I'd taught him.

When we reached downstairs, I set both Petra and Eren down on the floor, allowing them to crawl to Erwin, who was happy to greet them.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Erwin smiled, "Wow Levi, at this rate I'll be a great father without having any kids."

"Oh shut up." I rolled my eyes, the corners of my lips threatening to twitch up into a smile.

I reentered the kitchen to find Hanji sitting at the table with Eld and Gunther, chatting with them about something funny, as they both laughed while they stuffed cut pieces of pancake into their mouths.

The way Hanji looked with her back to me, hair shaking ever so lightly as she turned her head from each child, engaging in conversations with them, it felt...natural.

She used her hand to wipe away a bit of pancake stuck to the corner of Eld's mouth, for which he smiled at.

"Thank you Aunty Hanji." Eld remembered to mind his manners.

I was now peeking in from the kitchen doorway, interested as to how my boys interacted with other adults when I was not around.

"Me too!" Gunther demanded, "My face too!"

"Okay, okay!" Hanji laughed, tearing off a sheet from the paper towel roll. She dabbed around Gunther's lips before finally using it to swipe at his mouth.

"Thank you!" Gunther grinned cheekily.

"You're welcome, both of you." Hanji folded her hands under her cheeks, "Does Levi do this too?"

"Sometimes, usually we don't have time to eat breakfast." Eld looked down.

"Mm." Gunther nodded in agreement, his eyes drooping like they usually did when he was sad, "When Daddy went away for a week to Hamamama…Hamamama-"

"Hamamatsu." Eld helped him out.

"There," Gunther nodded, "He asked if I wanted anything and I asked for a Mommy but he said he couldn't get me that."

"Well, maybe one of these days I'll be your Mommy." Hanji smiled, tilting her head as she ruffled their head, "So make sure to eat lots and grow strong, I won't tolerate any slacking from you two."

"Okay!" The two said in unison.

I'd heard enough, "How's everything in here boys?" I asked as I officially entered the kitchen, "You already got something to eat?"

"Daddy!" Gunther pointed excitedly, "Aunty Hanji says she's gonna be our Mommy!"

"Did she now?" I turned to her, raising an eyebrow, "What do you mean by that Hanji?"

"Oh, you know, whenever you get called out for work in another town, I'll come watch the house and we can be a family." She did not make eye contact with me as she said this.

Well, at first I'd suspected her of plotting some kind of prank, and though I was still wary of her due to the lack of eye contact, I dismissed my suspicions.

"Fine by me." I shrugged, taking a seat diagonally to her right, "Any leftovers?"

"I made more." Hanji stood up, going over to the stove only to return with a plate full of pancakes, "Help yourself."

"Daddy, you didn't run off to work today!" Eld told me, eyes shining in realization, "This is just like a normal breakfast."

"Yeah." I nodded my head as I cut into the warm pancakes, "A normal breakfast."

* * *

 **Hey! A fresh cover for a fresh start! I've had all summer to get chapters ready so I hope to have chapters published every week!**


	2. Sacrifice

**Chapter 2 – Sacrifice**

"Ackerman, how would you react if I called you in here and said you were fired?"

"I'd call you on your BS." I took a seat, "I'm the best defense lawyer you've got, you're not firing me unless you got the undead _Johnnie Cochran_ to sign with you."

Pixis laughed, "If you were a prosecutor, you'd give Cochran a run for his money, that's for sure."

"Mm." I leaned back in the chair, "So, what did you call me in here for?"

"There's a particularly gruesome case that just got sent to me and I couldn't think of anyone more perfect for the job than you."

"Gee, thanks." I shook my head, "What kind of monster am I defending?"

"A spoiled rich brat."

"The worst kind." I sighed.

"That's not all," Pixis held up a paper, "Kid was in and out of juvenile detention centers for four years, but he **_really_** fucked up this time."

"What'd he do?" I asked, walking around the desk to read over his shoulder.

"Stole his uncle's car, robbed a grocery store at knife point, catalyzed a high speed chase that led to the injury of four police officers." He whistled, "To be frank, I have zero hope of you getting him off scot-free, but a reduced sentence is better than nothing."

I scratched my head, "How the hell am I supposed to-? Never mind, I'll figure it out; send me the files when you have the chance." I headed towards the door.

"One more thing." He called me back, "The family's got some real money tied into this, and though I don't want to pressure you, there basically saying if they don't get a likable outcome, we're screwed."

"That's just great." I slapped my sides, "Why'd you accept again?"

"There's a big payout." He didn't attempt to disguise his reasoning, "We lower the sentence, vacations for every department as soon as the trial's over, but if we don't, well you know."

"That being said," He continued, "Since the fate of this firm depends on it, starting tomorrow you're going to have to arrive an hour early and leave an hour late."

"What?!" I rubbed my forehead, "Sheesh, you really did it this time Dot. All this stress you're giving me, I might have to sue."

He laughed, "C'mon Levi, for the greater good, things must be sacrificed. For you, you have to sacrifice your time and energy!"

I rolled my eyes, "Yeah, yeah. We'll talk more tomorrow."

With that, I left his office and made my way towards mine, dreading the amount of files I'd have to get sorted.

* * *

The clock chimed ten o'clock; my time at the law firm had come to an end.

Collecting my papers, I piled them up neatly before placing them in my black briefcase, which I then closed. Just as I was about to open the door to my office, someone else stepped inside.

"Rushing home so soon?" It was Nanaba. She had on a dark black female suit with a white collared shirt underneath, although the shirt was loosely unbuttoned.

I shrugged, "Everyone in this firm does that, why am I being singled out?"

"Because you," She poked my chest, smiling mischievously, "Need a night off."

"I _do_ get the night off." I said, slightly confused, "That's why I'm leaving."

"You don't get it at all," She shook her head, "I mean a night off from the **kids**. Hang out with some friends, get drunk, you know, the fun stuff."

"Leave my kids to get drunk?" I crossed my arms, "Who would take care of them?"

"Just hire your neighborhood teenager." She suggested.

"A neighborhood teenager with _my_ kids?" I scoffed, appalled at the idea, "Might as well drop them off at the local penitentiary."

"Oh come on," Nanaba waved a hand, "Teenagers aren't _that_ bad."

"Do you remember what you were like as a teenager?" I questioned, "Sneaky, mischievous, untrustworthy and always looking to party."

"Actually, that was more college-me, than teenage-me."

" _My_ _point being_ ," I continued, "In general, teenagers can not be trusted. But alone in a house like mine? With my kids? I don't think so."

"You're being unreasonable." She took out her cellphone, "But don't worry, I've got just the thing for you." She swiftly tapped on a contact before putting the phone to her ear.

The person must've answered because she brightened up, "Hey, it's me! Listen, I have a favor to ask of you..." She stepped out of my office as she talked and I couldn't hear the rest of what was said.

' _She's finally given up._ ' I thought to myself as picked up my suitcase in one hand, my keys in the other, ' _She's crazy if she thinks-_ '

"Guess what?" She burst into the room, hitting me in the face with the door, "You're going drinking with us!"

* * *

"What am I doing here?" I asked myself, as I looked around the room.

I was currently sitting in a bar with four of my colleagues, Nanaba, Gelgar, Rico, Hannes and Mike, slightly buzzed.

At first, the thought of getting drunk right after work interested me, but as soon as I remembered the kids I shoved any indecent thoughts out of my mind. It was only when Nanaba swore to me she had called on someone to watch my kids that I agreed.

Even so, I couldn't help but think about them? Did Eld and Gunther make sure to brush their teeth before going to bed? I'd told them many times not to eat before sleeping, but would the sitter reinforce that?

"You're relaxing and having fun," Hannes slung his arm around my shoulder, forcing me out of my thoughts.

"I wonder about that." I rolled my eyes as I took a swig from the Heineken bottle, "Getting drunk isn't exactly my definition of fun."

"Then why are you drinking like the world's about to end?" Rico asked.

"Because this female dog," I jerked my head in Nanaba's direction, "Wouldn't let me hear the end of it."

"Damn right I wouldn't." Nanaba stood up, teetering back and forth, "Those kids have really cramped your style. You used to be wild, more outrageous than any of us. Now you're just a sap."

"Take that back." I said from across the table.

"No way." She crossed her arms, "It's the truth and you know it."

"That's not fair Nanaba," Hannes came to my defense, "We pressured Levi into taking in those kids. If anything, we're to blame. Because of us he can't-"

I waved my hand, cutting him off, "It's fine Hannes, honestly. Those kids have changed me for the better. Once Nanaba gets pregnant, she'll learn that."

"Pregnant?" She spat out her drank, "Not if I can help it."

"With you and Mike having sex like jack rabbits?" I raised an eyebrow, "It's only a matter of time."

She turned bright red, "How do you-?"

"Mike updates everyone." Rico subtly snitched on him.

"Mike!"

He coughed on his beer, "I don't update, I just let a few people know when I'm going to be out of contact."

"Out of contact in Nanaba's pussy." Gelgar snickered,.

"Fuck you!" Nanaba exclaimed, reaching across the table to grab him by his tie.

"Are you sure you wanna do that?" Gelgar asked in a teasing manner, "I can be pretty rough."

Rico and Mike joined the conflict, both attempting to calm someone down.

I stood up from the table, the noise getting too high for my liking.

"Hey Levi, where ya going?" Gelgar asked, "You're gonna miss Nanaba turning bright red once I show everyone her nudes."

"Wha-?! NUDES?! YOU BETTER NOT!" Nanaba warned, leaping over the table.

"Jesus Christ!" Rico yelled, "Both of you stop!"

"Nanaba, calm down, he doesn't have any nudes!" Mike tried to pull her away.

During the confusion, I managed to step away and slip outside of the bar. The cold air hit my face like a knife and I sighed.

"Shoulda brought a drink." I muttered to myself.

"Have a light instead." It was Hannes.

I shook my head, "Cigarettes lead to cancer."

"This coming from the guy who used to sell them in college." He chuckled, still holding out the carton.

He won me over and I grabbed a stick from the box, holding the end out for his lighter. As I put it to my lips and inhaled, I couldn't help but do a little trick as I exhaled, blowing the smoke from my nose.

"Man," I looked up at the night sky, "I haven't had a smoke in ages."

"All thanks to me, no doubt." Hannes looked at the ground.

"Stop blaming yourself Han," I turned to him, "You did the best you could, that's all anyone could ask for."

He nodded, leaning against the building, "When...when Carla died, Grisha was so, so depressed. I'd go over to his house everyday and practically talk him into living."

I stayed silent, listening intently.

"I tried to use the boy to make him stay but I guess that wasn't enough." He shook his head, "Next thing I know, I'm being woke up at 1AM by some maniac banging on the door. Look who it is, the Doc himself, mumbling all sorts of shit and basically asking me to take care of his kid."

 _Eren_. I thought to myself.

"I tell him hell no and Grisha says if I don't take him in, he's putting him up for adoption." Hannes holds his head in his hands, "I didn't want Grisha to run off but, the thought of Carla's kid in some shelter..."

I patted him on the back, "You couldn't bear it."

He sniffled, "Funny thing is, the kid doesn't look a thing like his mother. He's a spitting image of his father in every single way."

I dropped the burned out cigarette and squished it into the concrete, "Let's just hope he doesn't act like him."

"I hear that." Hannes ran his fingers through his hair, "It's pretty late, you should get going."

"Can you handle them in there?" I jerked my thumb at the bar.

He shrugged, "They're gonna get kicked out eventually, I'll just be there to mediate the process."

I shook my head, walking towards my car, "I don't know how you keep up with them Hannes."

"I don't either." He waved, "See you later Levi!"

* * *

"Look what the cat dragged in." Nile sat in the living room, arms crossed as I entered the house.

"Hey, you were the one Nanaba called up?" I questioned, "What about Marie and the kids?"

"She took 'em to her sisters, I was free for the night, lucky you." He stood up, "More importantly, you need to start thinking."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked him as I set down my keys, locking the door behind me.

"Let's say I _hadn't_ been available, and Nanaba tricked you into coming? Your kids would've called the cops because they were scared and you'd be slapped with a negligent charge."

"That is not, I wouldn't have-"

"I don't wanna hear it." Nile frowned, then sighed, softening his expression, "Look, I know being a parent is hard, three kids has taught me that, but you gotta sacrifice some things. Like it or not, these kids are **your** responsibility. Take care of them."

"I know that already." I kicked off my shoes, "You don't have to tell me twice."

"Yeah, yeah." Nile waved his hand, "See ya around." He shut the door as he left and I sighed.

"Sacrifice this, sacrifice that." I shook my head, "How 'bout I get a goddamn break for once? That'd be nice."

I entered my room and quietly removed my outfit before changing into pajamas. The babies were all fast asleep, so I would tend to them later.

Exiting my room, I went to Eld first, silently slipping into his room to kiss his forehead, "Goodnight buddy." I whispered.

Gunther received the same bidding but his forehead felt slightly hotter than Eld's.

' _I'll have to check his temperature in the morning._ ' I said to myself.

Lightly tapping each baby, I whispered my "goodnight's" and climbed into bed.

That night I had a dream. Or was it a nightmare?

 _Inside the dream, the kids had grown up by four years or so and I was walking Eld and Gunther home. Petra and Oluo had scheduled a play date with a friend and wouldn't be back until six in the evening._

 _The sound a car drifting caught my attention and I looked to see a black van speeding down the street toward us._

 _Just as it was driving by, the van door opened and I heard multiple **BANG!** s before it sped away._

" _That was weird, right guys?" I turned to look at my kids._

 _The sight that met me was horrific: blood all over the sidewalk. Each of them had been shot in the head-I looked again, Eren was holding his stomach, flat on his back._

 _I ran over to him, quickly kneeling to get a good look at the wound, "Let me see."_

 _He slowly lifted his hands and I quickly accessed the bullet wound before applying pressure, "It's okay Eren, you're gonna be okay. Someone please! Call an ambulance!"_

 _A shopkeeper had ran out with a phone in hand, frantically dialing 911._

" _Daddy?" He called me, wincing as he turned his head, "What about Eld and Gunther?"_

 _I forced the tears not to come up as I answered him, "They're-They're not okay."_

" _They died?" He asked, tears welling up in his eyes as he took my silence for a yes, "Am I gonna die?"_

" _No pumpkin." I said firmly, "You're gonna be okay."_

" _Daddy I..." He started shutting her eyes, "I feel tired for some reason..."_

" _You can sleep all you want once the ambulance gets here." I said, frantically trying to keep he awake, "For now, stay up Eren. Come on, tell me what you did at school today."_

" _Ms. King gave us cookies after nap time because we were all…" He hung his head as his words came to a stop._

" _Because what?" I shook him, "Because?!" He didn't answer, seemingly lifeless._

 _I felt for his heartbeat and though it was present, it was significantly slower._

" _WHERE IS THE **GODDAMN** AMBULANCE?!" I yelled._

" _They're on the way, the dispatcher told me that they're fifteen minutes away."_

' _They won't make it._ ' I thought to myself, ' _Fifteen minutes? Eren can't...I..._ '

 _I held his head against my shoulder, tears slipping out of my eyes, "Eren please, if you can hear me, please, **don't die.** "_

I woke up to the sound of my alarm and got up, rubbing my eyes. Checking the cribs, I was relieved to find my three babies sleeping soundly, no signs of blood or death.

After using the bathroom I looked in the mirror only to see tear streaks going down my cheeks.

I scrubbed them off, "Crying in my sleep from a dream, pathetic."

And for some reason, all throughout the morning, even though I was sure it had been a nightmare, it still bothered me. Where did a nightmare like that come from?


End file.
